From the Corner
-by Kelly Gunter
The surface of our planet is mostly water, so why do you hear such urgent cringing over water shortages?
It's true that seventy percent of the surface of our globe is covered with water, but 97.2% of that water is salt water. That leaves 2.8% for our consumption, although not entirely. The average american is said to use 580,000 gallons a year. If every human on the Earth were to do likewise we would already be exceeding the 2.8% of fresh water available.
It seems that these days the world is determined to drink itself under the table. Evidence has been gathered to substantiate that the water table is falling in Africa, China, India, North America, and the former Soviet Union. On over one quarter of the irrigated properties in the United States alone, the water table has been dropping between six inches, and four feet a year.
If you're suddenly curious (or not, hell, I'll tell you anyway) how you can start to consume a smaller percentage of water than you already do, one of the best pieces of advice I can give you is become a vegetarian. According to one of my sources, the amount of water necessary to produce a month's worth of food for a meat eater is actually more than the water needed to produce a year's worth of food for a vegetarian. One serving of steak can have a water consumption equivalent of 2600 gallons, a hamburger is about 1300 gallons, while one serving of grain, vegetables or fruit might be any where from three to one hundred gallons. At its greatest degree of water consumption, grain, fruit, and vegetables are still one twenty-sixth the amount of consumption for that of a serving of steak. |
In fact about 50% of the water consumed in the US on a yearly basis is by livestock, 25% is other agriculture, and 7% is home use.
After realizing that use of water in the home only devours a mere seven percent of the whole you might say, "Well, why bother." The answer is that your own personal consumption is not limited just to that which you use in the home. Ours is supposed to be a democratic society and if you look at it it's not really. However, there are certain parts of our society that are entirely democratic and you cast your ballot for it every day. In our market economy, you vote on what you find to be acceptable practice for business, most of the time without even having any background. The idea of it is important when speaking of water consumption and I will pursue the rest of the implications of this idea in later installments. For every product, service, or even business or charity you support, you are responsible for the water consumed while preforming whatever service was rendered.
Next week I will talk about several methods of cutting down on water consumption within the home. It is however, important to reiterate what I have already said. Although I will write about other methods of cutting down on water consumption, there are no other actions you can preform that will cut down on your water usage more than just becoming a vegetarian.
Sources:
Nontoxic, Natural, and Earthwise by Debra Lynn Dadd
Alternative Energy Sourcebook edited and published by John Schaeffer (this is mostly a compilation of advertisements for earthwise products)
If you have any questions, comments, ideas, issues, or products you want me to discuss, or would like to write something up yourself, send all to kkg8006@ritvax.rit.edu
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cont from pg 3...
I, Robot: The Illustrated Screenplay (Based on Isaac Asimov's story-cycle) (1994)
The City on the Edge of Forever (1995)
RETROSPECTIVES
Alone Against Tomorrow: A 10-Year Survey(1971)
The Essential Ellison: A 35-Year Retrospective (Edited by Terry Dowling, with Ricard Delap and Gil Lamont) (1987)
AS EDITOR
Dangerous Visions (1967)
Nightshade and Damnations the finest stories of Gerald Kersh (1968)
Again, Dangerous Visions (1972)
Medea: Harlan's World (1985)
The Harlan Ellison Discovery Series: Stormtrack by James Sutherland (1975)
Autumn Angels by Arthur Byron Cover (1975)
The Light at the End of the Universe by Terry Carr (1976)
Islands by Marta Randall (1976)
Involution Ocean by Bruce Sterling (1978)
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